Telegraphic receiving apparatus



June 17 1924.

E. A. WILLSON TELEGRAPHIC RECEIViNG APPARATUS Filed July 19. 1920 4Sheets-Sheet 1 June 17 1924.

E. A. WILLSON TELEGRAPHIC RECEIVING APPARATUS Filed July 19. 1920 4Sheets-$heet 2 E. A. WILLSON TELEGRAPHIC RECEIVING APPARATUS June 17 1924.

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 19. 1920 June 17 1924' E. A. WILLSONTELEGRAPHIC RECEIVING APPARATUS Filed July 19 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Patented June 17, 1924.

UNITED, STATES 'ETHEIJRED' ALFRED PATENT 1 OFFICE.

WILL SO N, OF (lRO'YiDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOIt TO CREEDK& -COM- PANY,'LIMITED, CROYI DON, ENGLAND. I J i TELEGRAPHIc anceivrne APPARATUS,

Application fiieaaui s. 1920. Serial No. 397,229.

(GRANTED UNDER THE riiovisioivs or THE new or Manon 3,1921, 41 s'm'r.I.., 1313. p

T '0 all whom it may 00mm.-

Be it known] that I, ETHELRED ALFRED WILL'soN, a subject of; the King ofGreat Britain and Ireland, residing at Croydon, county of Surrey,England, have invented Improvements in or Connected with TelegraphicReceiving Apparatus for which I have filed applications in GreatBritain,

Jan. 7, 1918, No. 379; in France, July 3, 1920,

518,81 in Canada, July 16, 1920, 2%,188;

in Denmark,'Aug. 4, 1920, 2,458; in Sweden,:

June 28, 1920, 3,245; in Spain, July 2, 1920, 74,355; in Italy, July 8,1920, 89,302; in Bel 'gium, July 1, 1920, 230,710; in Holland, Aug. 9,1920, 16,021), of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to telegraphic re ceiving apparatus forperforating a tape in accordance with electriccurrents or impulsesreceived over a line wire in automatic Wheatstone telegraphic systemsand has for its primary object to provide improved apparatus whichreproduces at the receiving end'of a circuit an exact perforated tapereplica of that which is run through the transmit: ting apparatus at thesending end of the circuit.

Another object of the invention is to pro# vide receiving apparatus inwhich the use of costly and intricate air pressure plant and mechanismfor operating the tape punches is obviated. I

Still another object is to provide receiving apparatus capableotoperating at a high speed, for instance at the rate of about 80150 wordsper minute or even more.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide apparatus for producing aperforated tape in accordance with electric'cui'rents or impulsesreceived over a line wire, said apparatus comprising two or threeindependently operating sets of mechanism controlled by two polarizedrelays one responsive to negative and the other to positive currents oneset for operating a dot punch,a second for actuating a dash punch, andthe'third'if such is provided, a space-punch, and each set comprising aspindle section continuously rotated at a constant speed by an electricmotor,a spring-pressed spindle sectionziligning with the rotary spindlesection andino-rmally held stationary, a ratchet wheel or other toothedor notched clutch fitted between the two spindle sections and controlledby an electromagnet and a cam on the normally stationary spindle section"and adapted to operate the respective punch through a plunger and apivoted striker. v

The apparatus provided by the present invention embodies an improvedconstruction combination arrangement and mode of operation of its parts,and comprises a single key lever or through polarized relay providedwith a member adapted to oscillate in response to the electrlc currentsorimpulses received over the line, a train of escapement devices andcams, one of which escapement devices directly and mechanicallyco-operates with the oscil- 'latory member, and punch-operating deviceswhich operate dot and dash punches of a receiving tape punching machine,the arrangement being such that each time the relay member oscillates toone side or the other all of the escapement devices and cams aremomentarily released, and the cams mechanically driven a certain amount,successively and step by step, that is, in a train one after the other,the last cam directly actuating one of the punch-operating devices, andthe small 'niovementsof the relay member being 'multiplied step by stepthrough all of the escapement devices and cams to the larger andstronger movements necessary for operating the punches.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in

and intermediate release mechanisms re moved;

Figures 3 and 4 are plans 'of'the'rel'ay and intermediate "releasemechanisms, respectively the bell crank levers and their connectinglinks are shown in their intermediate positions in order to enable theirconstruction to be the better illustrated and understood upon referenceto such drawings.

In the construction shown three, that is, relay, intermediate andpunching, spindles are mounted above one another on two platforms 6 anda base plate 7 and gearedtogether by toothed wheels 8, 9 and 10,-andeach spindle is formed of two aligning sections 1l11, 1212, 13-13,adapted to be connected to one another by co-operating friction clutchdiscs 141 P, 1515 ,.and 1616 secured on their adjacent ends. One section11, 12 and 13 of each spindle carries or is associated with anescapement hereinafter described and a cam 17, 18 and 19, and

the other section 11 12 and 13 carries one of the gear wheels 8, 9, and10, and has its free end supported in a bearing and engaged by anadjustable bearing screw 20, 20, 20. Additional gear Wheels 21, Fig. 2,form a train with the gear wheel 10, and oneo-f the said additionalwheels is connected to a shunt wound electric motor, of about {gth H. P.such as by a flexible coupling and a spindle 22, and other is connectedto a shaft 23 which drives a stub shaft 24 through worm gearing 25, saidstub shaft being provided with a fly wheel 26 and with a clutch device27 or other means for driving the spindle 28 of the paper or other tape29, said spindle forming part of a receiving tape punching mechanismsuch as of a Creed punch block, and serving to feed the tape between thedie-plates and past the punches of said mechanism. By these means thespindle sections 11, 12 and 13 the clutch discs 14*, 15 and 16*- onthese sections, and the tape operating mechanism 21 to 28 are drivencontinuously at a. predetermined constant speed from the electric motor,the speed being controlled by the adjustment of a rheostat connected incircuit with the field ,winding of the motor or by a suitable form ofgovernor. Normally the other sections 11, 12 and 13 of the spindles andthe clutch discs 14, 15, and 16, and the cams 17, 18 and 19 carriedthereby are held against rotation by the escapementmechanisms untilreleased in the manner hereinafter described. The clutch discs 14, 15,and 16 on the normally stationary spindle sections 11, 12 and 13 areconstantly pressed against leather or other rings 30, fixed to theirco-acting clutch discs 1 1 15 and 16 on the continuously rotatingspindle sections 11, 12 a d y means f adjustable springs 31, 32 and 33,the springs 31 and 32 bearing against the ends of their respectivespindle sections 11 and 12, whilst the spring 33 is attached to apivoted lever 34, Figures 1 and 2 having a collar 35 which bears againstthe corresponding clutch disc 16 on the spindle section 13. The pressureof the springs'31, 32, and 33, isso adjusted that it is just suiiicientto cause the respective spindle sections 11, 12 and 13, and the cams,17, 18 and 19, to turn smartly when said spindle sections are released,the power required to' do the work allotted to each completespindlebeing taken automatically in the manner described hereinafter. The

apparatus is electrically controlled direct from the line signals by anordinary post office or other suitable polarized relay 36, Fig.3 whichlatter has its electrical contacts replaced by a light steel tongue 37adapted,

to oscillate in response to the signal currents,

between two adjustable stop screws .not

shown. Thefreeend of the relay tongue 37 co-operates with two staggeredradial arms 38 secured on the normally stationary section 11 of theupper spindle 11 11 thus forming the first or relay escapementmechanism, and the adjustment, sizes and shapes OEfjthG tongue and armsin relation to one another are such that said arms can make onlymo ne,

half revolution upon each movement or beat staggered in the direction oftravel of the tape in suchwise that in the case of a dot there is adwell after actuation of one punch just suflicient to cause the secondpunch to produce a perforation at the sameposition in the length of thetape, the two perforations being at opposite sides of the customarycentre line of feed perfarations, The production of perforationsrepresenting a dash is effected by the first punchiin the sameway as fora dot but the dwell in this case is increased so thatthe second punchproduces a companion perforation which is not in the same positioninrthe length of the tape but coincides with the next feedperforation.It will thus be understood. that as the complete operation of thrustingand releasing-the punches occupies only about the300th part of a second,the time during which the feed wheel and tape are arrested ispracticallynegligible and theditference between dots and dashes in the tape dependsentirely therefore upon the time interval between successive spacing andmarking con tacts durin which the tape is allowed to run on. ,venbetween the marking and l it.)

spacing-1 currents for a dot", there: is an appreciable; interval 1durin'giwhich the slip has travelled a little. The right-hand punch andthe v corresponding c'orrector wheel are given alead so that althoughthe: spacing punch is actuated later, the spacing perforation appearsopposite the same centre hole as" the marking perforation. The operationis thus as follows :A movement of the relay tongue 37 to one side underthe influence ofa received signal current causes it to" release one ofthe first escapement arms 38011 the upper spindle section 11,'so thatthe latter turns "through half a revolution until? the other armcontacts'with and is stopped the tongue. Thecanr 17, Fig mesa; 3 andf6',onxthespindle section 11 en gages and presses-back an arm' of one of twoopposed- -bell-crank' levers39, 39 pivoted ona stationary support" 40'secured on the upper platform 6, the other arms of which levers are'conn'ected' b y a" link e1 and I by a pin and hole joint 42 to theupper end of a vertical lever 43 pivoted at 44, Figures 1 and tithelower end of saidwle'veror rod be ing' forked and engaged with a stud-45 on i a plate 46 forming part of L the second or intermediate'escap'ement' mechanism and slid ably mounted in the recessed-rearfa'ce'of a stationary} support 47, The movement of the bell crank lever39 by the cam 17 pushes the plate 46110'9116 side, and-this action iscaused to besmartand decisive by the medi umpf'a roller 48 carried'by-aspring 49ccopera'ting with a projection 50 carried" by the pivotpino'fthe vertical leverfl43. Thus the lever e3 and the plate 46' operatedthereby cannotcometo rest atiany intermediate position but once theprojection 50 passes the-"neutrallinesaid lever and plate must, throughthe action of the spring roller 48', jump to one side or theotheraccording to theoperatio'n and position ofthecam 17 1 Two catch plungers51, 51 are slidably and longitudinally mountedin the support 47 and areconnected to lugs52formed on plates 53, F 4 securedQadjustably: ifdesired, tothe plate 46, andsaid lugsslide in slots formed in 'thesaid'supp'ort The move ment of the second escapement plate 46 causes oneofthecatche's 51 to release an arm 5 4se'curedto the spindle section 12and engaging said catch sothat the said spindle section is allowed" torotate through halfa revolution until said arm contacts with andi's'jstopped-by theother catch 51; The cam 18, Figs. 1- and 4"on=thespindlesection-12 engages and presses back an arm of one of twoopposedibelhcrank --levers" '5-j=pivoted on the stationary lowerplatform? 6; theothei' arms of which leversare connected by a link" 57',Figs; 1, 4 and '5, carrying a'i pointed projection 58* which passes'throughz-a' slot 59 formed in a dependingflever fifl pivoted at GI aIidhavingQitSlgfWer ehd'fiorkedWoem gage a stud 62" on -a..plate' 63vservingiaspjfirt of the thirdf or punching escapement mechanism and:sli'dably mounted in the recessed rear face of a stationary support 64aTwoca-tch plungers 65, 65 are slidably and. longitudinally mounted inthesupport 64 and: are connected tolugs 66 formed on discs'6'7 secured,adjustably if desired, to

the plate 63, and said lugs; slide in slots formedin the'said support."vThe movement of'the bell crank lever by the cam 18' swings-the link57,depending vlever and plate 63 to one side, and theswinging action isrendered sudden by'any known or suitable devicefsuch as by means "of aroller 68'carried by a spring, 69" andco-operatin'gawith thepointedendof the'project-ion 58 on said link in-ainanner' and for apurposeasimilar to those, of the spring-1 roller 48 1 and pro jection 5Opreviouslyi'j described. The-swinging aside ofthe third escape} mentplate 63 caused one of" the catches to release an -arm"70 secured on thelower-or punching spindle "section 13, .so that the latter is'allowed'to' revolve through half a. revolution until said armcontact-switlr andfis stopped by'theoth'er catch ofthe plate. The cam 19on the spindle section 13engageswith one of a pairof rollers 71, Figs.-2and? carried by two hinged spring-returned striking: plates 72, thuspressing the respective plateforward. These strikingplates 7 2areadapted to operate the dot and dash punches 7 3 and the corrector-rods74 ofthe receiving tape punching mechanism inchc'ated' generally byi dotand dash line's75.

v When" the relay tongue 37 moves to {the other sideunder-theinfluenceof a'succeeding signal current the-'escapement and cam mechanismsrepeat'the operations ahoved'e scribed with the exception thatthemovements of the second and third escapement plates-46 and 63 willbeiir reverse directions two striking plates 72' are ensured-'as will heappreciated,-by the c'o-operatio n of" the two arms 38 of-thefirstescapement withfl'the relay tongue '37 by the pairs of opposed" bellcrank levers 39 and 55" co-operating with the first andsecondcams 17 and18 andby the consequ'ential rotation of the three spindle sections 11,12' and=13 each through half a -revolution' at a time in--turn.= Thus itwill be understood that thesmall? and timed" side mov'ementsaofthe;-relayftoiigue 37 in: alternate directions-,3 under: the influence ofpositive and negativei'or-strongiantliq weak currents are exactlyreproducedlinisteps to a multiplied degree -by"th'e: movementsimparted5to':the'two'-' striking 0r punch-(Spa? ating plates: 72:,

but i The three cams 17, 18 and 19, are so shaped that the greater theresistance they have to overcome the harder are the discs 14 15 and 16thrust against their companion rotating discs 14, 15 and 16 thus eachspindle section 11, 12 and 13, automatically obtains the necessary powerto do the work allotted to it.

The arms of the opposed bell'crank levers 39and' 55 which engage withthe cams 17 and 18 have rollers 7 6 and 77 mounted on them to reducefriction. For the same reason the free end of'the tongue 37 moves onrollers not shewn. I I 1 Thestriking plates 72 are thrust forward by thecam 19 and returned by the springs 7 8 against the adjustable stops 79so quickly that the time that the tape is held and punched is so shortas to be negligible. action of the receiving tape punching mecha nismknown as the Creed punch-block is well known and need not be detailedhere. It will be sufiicient to say that the action and effect producedby the striking plates 72 is the same as that produced by the punchham.- mers ofthe Creed receiver the instrument with which theGreed punchblock is normally used. For an'understanding of the Creed punch blockand receiver reference may be had to U. S. Patent No. 887,313;

The cam 19 is fitted on the back with a circumfe'rentially adjustabledisc 80 upon which are two projections or cams 81 diametrically oppositeto one another. These two projections 81 are so adjusted by turning thedisc 80 that they contact with the adjustable screws 82 just before thearm 70 strikes and is stopped by one of the catches V '65 which action-momentarily relieves the pressure between the two discs 16 and 16".Thus the arm 70 strikes the catches while the power is temporarilyremoved from the spindle section 13 which action will tend to materiallyreduce the power required to operate the instrument as well as tominimize the wear and tear at this point.

The springs 31 and 69 are each adjusted by means of two set screwspassing through slots therein and disposed one on each side of'the block83 secured thereto and formed with opposed inclined faces, the spring 32is carried by a pivot' pin upon which is secured an arm 84 against whichpresses an adjustable set screw 85 and the rear end of the spring issecured to a longitudinally moveable screw-threaded bolt 86 which is adjusted by two nuts 87. The plate 46 moves between two adjust-able stopscrews 88 and the lever 60' between two similar screws 89.

If desired two instead of three sets of escapement and cam mechanisms,or more than three may be provided.

What I claim is 1. A telegraphic tape perforator of the kind hereinreferred to, comprising tape feeding mechanism, punches for formingrotary member and said driving means,-

holding meansassociated with each rotary member for normally holding thesame stationary, against the action of its clutch, the holding means"associated with the first r0- tary member in the series being controlledby the movable member of the relay, the

holding means associated with the'second rotary member in the seriesbeing controlled by the actuating means onthe first rotary member and soon, the actuating means on the last rotary member being adapted whensuch member is released, to actuate the punch operating means, and theseveral clutches being of increasing power from that associated withthe-first rotary member to that associated with the last1rotary member,substantially as described.

2. A telegraphic tapeperforator of the kind herein referred to,-.comprising tape feeding mechanism, two punches for forming signal holesin tape fed by said mechanism, means for actuating saidpunches inalternate order,- a'series of rotary members, a series of cams fixed tothe respective rotary members, driving means designed con,- tinuously torotate, a series of closed fric tion clutches between said driving meansand rotary members, a single polarized relay having a member adapted'tobe moved alternately in, opposite directions in response to, positiveand negative impulses received over a telegraph line, and. a series ofescape ment devices associated with the respective rotary members andeach adapted normally to hold its respective shaft stationary, the firstescapement device in the series being controlled by the said movablemember of the relay and the next escapement device in the series beingcontrolled by the cam on the preceding rotary member ofthe series, thefirst escapement being arranged to be released by the relay member whenmoved in either direction and its corresponding rotary member left freeto berotated by its corresponding clutch device and its cam device thencaused to release the escapement device of the next rotary cam carryingmember in the series and. permit such member to be-rotated by its clutchdevice and so on, the cam device on the last rotary member beingarranged, when rotated, to operate the punch actuating means. 7

3, A telegraphic tapeperforator 0f the kind herein referred fto,!comprising tape feeding mechanism, two punches for forming signal holesin tape fed by said mechaw friction clutch between each pair of drivingand driven spindles, escapement mechanism associated with each drivenspindle and normally holding said spindle stationary against the actionof its clutch, the escapement mechanism associated with the first drivenspindle being controlled by the relay member and being released at eachmovement of said member, and the escapement mechanism associated witheach succeeding stationary spindle being controlled and actuated by thecam on the preceding driven spindle when this spindle is released by itsescapement and driven by its clutch, ,the cam device on the laststationary spindle being adapted when such spindle is released by itsescapement and driven by its clutch to operate the punch actuatingmechanism, and the several cams being of increasing power from the firstto the last in the series, substantially as described.

4. In a telegraphic tape perforator of the kind herein referred to, thecombination with tape feeding mechanism, punches for forming signalholes in a tape fed by said mechanism, actuating means for said punches,and a single polarized relay having a member adapted to be movedalternately in opposite directions in response to positive and negativeimpulses received over a telegraph line associated with said relay, ofseries of driving spindles, a series of companion normally stationarydriven spindles, each of the latter spindles being co-axial with adriving spindle, a closed friction clutch between the adjacent ends ofeach pair of driving and driven spindles and adapted to slip when thedriven spindle is stationary, a cam fixed on each driven spindle, anescapement device associated with each driven spindle, that associatedwith the first driven spindle of the series thereof comprising twodiametrically arranged arms fixed on the said first driven spindle andco-operating with themovable member of said relay so that said drivenspindle can be rotated through half a revolution by its clutch each timethe relay member moves from one position to another,

means arranged between the camwon each driven spindle and the escapementdevice associated with the next driven spindle in the series of drivenspindles and adapted, when the first driven'spindle is released,"t'o beactuated by the cam thereon and to actu ate the escapementfto releasethe said next driven spindle, the successive clutches being ofsuccessively increasing power from that associated with the driven shaftfirst released by the action of the relay and the cam on the last shaftof the series being adapted, when its driven shaft is momentarilyreleased by its escapement mechanism and driven by its clutch to"operate the punch actuating means. a

5. In a telegraphic tape perforator of the kind herein referred to, thecombination with tape feeding mechanism, tapepunching mechanism and asingle polarized relay having a member adapted to move alternately inopposite directions in response to positive and negative impulses,received over a telegraph line associated with said relay, of anumber ofpairs of coaxial driving and driven spindles arranged parallel to oneanother, means for continuously rotating the driving spindles, a closedfriction clutch between each pair of driving and driven spindles, a camon each cam shaft, escapement means for normally holding each drivenspindle stationary against the action of its clutch, the escapementmeans for the first driven spindle of the series being controlled by themovable relay member and that for each succeeding cam shaft beingcontrolled from the cam on the preceding driven spindle, the severalescapement means acting in succession to release the respective drivenspindles and allow them to be rotated in succession through half arevolution each time the movable relay member moves from one position toanother, the clutches being of increasing power from the first drivenspindle to the last and the cam on the last driven spindle, when thisspindle is released, acting to operate the tape punching mechanism.

6. In a telegraphic tape perforator of the kind herein referred to, thecombination with tape feeding mechanism, tape punching mechanism and asingle polarized relay having a member adapted to move alternatelyinopposite directions in response to positive and negative impulsesreceived over a telegraph line associated with the relay, of a pluralityof pairs of driving and driven members, a closed friction clutch betweenthe driving and driven members of each pair thereof, an escapement onthe first driven member adapted to be momentarily released at eachmovement of the said movable member of the relay and permit said spindleto be driven by its clutch, means arranged between the said severaldriven members, adapted, when the first driven several clutches beingof, increasing power member is released, to release succeeding from thatof the first driven member to the driven members in succession andpermit last one. 1 them to be rotated by their clutches and Signed atLondon, England, this 22nd 5 means on the, last driven member adapted,dayof June, 1920.

when this member is released and rotated,

to, actuate the tape punching mechanism, the ETHELRED ALFRED WILLSON.

